UMW junior Ben Henderson practically grew up in his parents’ faith-based community center. There were no weekend basketball games for this shooting guard; Sundays were all about church. Religion makes his world go ‘round. Yet when it came time for college, he was reluctant to study the subject.

“I felt like it would be contradicting my personal beliefs,” Henderson said.

He was wrong.

In opening his eyes to other religions, he said, “It made me a better Christian.”

That’s key for Henderson, who spent long summer days playing games with the children who were dropped off for daycare at the center his parents, both pastors, built to support the Fredericksburg community. Somewhere along the way, playtime turned serious, and he found himself called to the ministry. It’s a quest he continues at UMW, where his majors, sociology – and now also religion – will guide him toward his dream to help at-risk youth.

The youngest of four – brother Joseph Jr. ’14 and sister Ashley Nicole ’11 are also UMW alums – Henderson was reared on hard work. As his mother and father labored tirelessly around him, “It became second nature to try to do as much as I can,” said Henderson, who stocked food, sorted clothes and swept floors early on. The first to arrive in the morning. The last to leave every night.

When middle-school basketball, with no Sunday obligations, gave him a chance to do his own thing, his parents showed up to support him.

“Even when I was on the bench most of the game,” Henderson said, “they were the family that was always there.”

Choosing Mary Washington kept Henderson close to them – and to the center – but he was adamant about living on campus. “When I’m on campus, I’m at school,” he said. “I get caught up in learning.”

That includes that first shaky foray into religion with Associate Professor of Classics, Philosophy and Religion Mary Beth Mathews. “The Abrahamic Religions” dissected Christianity, Judaism and Islam, and gave Henderson a new view.

“I liked that class,” he said. “[Studying religion] has given me a chance to set aside my Christian lens and find a different perspective.”

With a schedule like his, perspective is important. He’s in the UMW Chorus, took part in the University’s recent branded marketing campaign, helps out in the Office of Admissions and squeezes in side jobs and classes where he can. That’s on top of a full-time curriculum, a part-time job with Academic Services, and of course, his work at the center, where he now administers the youth program he used to be part of.

Program Support Technician Charlotte Corbett-Parker, who supervises Henderson in Academic Services, credits his stellar performance, in part, to the skills he picked up at the center.

“These are life experiences that other students just don’t have,” she said. “You don’t see a lot of people wanting to serve the community the way [his family does]. Ben is tied into helping others. It’s something that comes natural to him.”

He also plays drums at church, where he’s passing his passion for the art down to the kids who’ve come after him. He plans to weave his musical talent into his dreams – attending seminary school, developing nonprofit programs, and teaching, all to bolster families and community.

“When I think of things I want to do, I never can say just one thing and leave it at that,” he said. “I think that’s because of how I grew up.”

UMW senior Ann Izzard peered out into the incredible mist. The grueling hike to the peak of the high-elevation cloud-forest mountain in Panama’s Altos de Campaña National Park had left her tired and sore. But the marathon trek turned out to be worth it.

“The view from the top was breathtaking,” said Izzard, a biology major who joined the recent UMW in Panama “Tropical Ecology” trip, led by biology professors Andrew Dolby and Alan Griffith.

The adventure was among several spring break excursions that offered UMW students a chance to live and learn abroad – if only for one week. Dispersing across the globe, the travelers set out into Europe, South and Central America, and Canada to tour museums, study the environment, sample sports overseas and more.

Senior Kelly Morgan, a computer science and anthropology major, joined the UMW in Québec trip, flinging herself into the French-Canadian culture and language. The group, led by Associate Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures Scott Powers, traveled the Great White North, exploring Québec and Montréal, with stops at the grand Château Frontenac on the St. Lawrence River, the unique Montréal BioDome and Duceppe Theatre.

Other groups visited the United Kingdom for “The Soccer Experience,” Austria to study the culture and the Holocaust, London to scope out British museums, Guatemala to study “Grassroots Sustainability,” and Ireland for the ninth UMW Men’s Rugby Ireland Tour.

Nathan Neri, a junior who majors in marketing, counted the Guinness Brewery tour among the many highlights of the Emerald Isle trip.

“How could it get better than going with your entire [UMW] team,” Neri said, “while also getting to play against the best college teams in Ireland.”

UMW Abroad offers a wide variety of winter break, spring break, and summer programs. To learn how you can earn academic credit on an international program, visit the Center for International Education’s website to learn more.

Jake Kalkstein came to UMW looking for change. This May, he’ll leave with a purpose.

Feeling lost after his first year of college, the soon-to-be-graduate transferred to UMW, enamored by its small class sizes, liberal arts and sciences curriculum, and potential for building relationships with professors.

Just three years later, Kalkstein’s colorful story spans three countries and culminates with an acceptance letter and academic scholarship to dental school at Howard University. Sharing a vibrant narrative of eye-opening mission trips, engaging faculty mentors and hands-on dental experience, Kalkstein paints a picture that places Mary Washington as the canvas for his future.

Diving into a biology major his first year on campus, Kalkstein admits he was taken aback by the rigor of his courses and struggled with the academic transition. Then he found the spark that pushed him to excel at school.

“I could see myself being a dentist,” said Kalkstein, reflecting on his time shadowing his family dentist in Arlington, Virginia. “I would observe, help sterilize equipment and work directly with patients. I loved how hands-on it was.”

The one-and-a-half-month immersion was the taste Kalkstein needed to make academics his priority and seek out other experiences in dentistry. Over the next two years, he joined mission trips to Haiti and Panama as part of International Medical Relief’s dental team, helping dentists who performed extractions and fluoride treatments.

“I gained a ton of perspective,” said Kalkstein, who shared stories about patients with rotting teeth, decay and intense pain. “Oral health isn’t a priority in places like Haiti and Panama, which causes so much suffering.”

Besides assisting with dental procedures, Kalkstein handed out toothpaste and toothbrushes, and worked with translators to deliver pre- and post-operation reports.

“I realized how valuable and fulfilling it is to give back,” said Kalkstein. “The trips only motivated me further to become a dentist and possibly one day start my own nonprofit that hosts mission trips.”

Back in Fredericksburg, Kalkstein had the ideal network and pre-dental program within the biology department to support his vision and launch his dental career.

“It’s not uncommon for Jake to drop by my office,” said Abbie Tomba, associate professor of biology. “We would discuss classwork or current topics in science. His curiosity about a wide range of topics led to some great conversations.”

Between faculty mentors and the department’s pre-medical/pre-dental club, Kalkstein had the tools he would need to land a spot in Howard University’s dental program. The club became a crucial key to Kalkstein’s success, providing career advice, entrance exam tips and speakers from representative programs.

“Joe Ferguson, a former professor at UMW, is now a family friend,” said Kalkstein, who often spent time talking with faculty during office hours. “My professors wrote letters of recommendation, mentored me and helped me with my résumé.”

Proudly wearing his new Howard University sweatshirt, he is proof that everyone’s efforts – especially his own – seem to have paid off.

“I’ve come a long way,” Kalkstein said. “Relentless hard work in a tough science curriculum has gotten me to where I am today. I worked hard and reached my goal.”